


Nova's Family Lived AU

by novaartinoisaqueen



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: AU, F/F, F/M, M/M, im not the only one who has thought of this au i know you have too, this also has no particular order and im sorry, this keeps me going when im sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23285482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novaartinoisaqueen/pseuds/novaartinoisaqueen
Summary: okay so hear me out what if nova's family lived and she never joined the anarchist but became a renegade instead? if you want to learn more about it, i have it posted under my fanfic masterpost on tumblr (just search it up on my blog and hopefully it will show up) if you want to check it out. i dont have a concrete plan for this au, so its just going to be a bunch of little snippets with different POVs and times throughout nova's life!
Relationships: Danna Bell | Monarch/Narcissa, Hugh Everhart | Captain Chromium/Simon Westwood | The Dread Warden, Nova Artino | Nightmare/Adrian Everhart | Sketch, Oscar Silva | Smokescreen/Ruby Tucker | Red Assassin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 56





	1. Welcome to the Renegades!

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr nova-artino-is-a-queen and say hi!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is where ruby becomes a renegade and is being given a tour by sketch’s team. I tried following some canon (besides the fact that nova is an anarchist in canon) but it was a little hard finding the exact times when each member of sketch’s team joined the renegades, so I kind of took that into my own hands. in advance, I apologize for what’s about to come, and I would also like to thank anyone who may have inspired some snippets in here:)))

“And this is the training hall.” The elevator came to a stop, and Adrian, Danna, Oscar, and Ruby stepped out. Adrian peeked over at Ruby, watching her face light up in awe. He led the three of them down the walkway over the training facilities, going slow so she could take it all in. He thought back to the first time he saw the place, although it was brand new and not nearly as large as it was now. 

The trials had been held a few days ago, and Ruby was the newest member to Sketch’s team. It had been a difficult fight to get her, as multiple teams had challenged her, but Adrian had seen her potential. She was trained in martial arts and her ability to bleed gems would be useless in a fight. Part of his motivation to get her on his team may have been influenced by Oscar’s interest in her at the trials as well. Even now, Adrian had to hold back a smile from watching his friend trying to keep his cool around her. 

“My brothers would die if they saw this place.” Ruby shot a grin at Adrian. “They’re twins, and they’ve always wanted to be Renegades.”

“Are they going to be?” Oscar watched her intently, his attention solely on her. Adrian had never seen him act this way around a girl before. Ruby was cute, he had to admit, with her bubbly attitude and freckles and black and white hair, but he wasn’t interested in her the way Oscar was. 

Ruby shook her head, biting her bottom lip. “They’re not prodigies.” Her smile faltered for a moment, but it reappeared just as quickly as it fell as her eyes scanned the training hall. “What’s going on over there?”

Adrian followed her gaze to the huge salt water swimming pool that was usually mostly empty save for the occasional water elemental. Today, however, a small crowd gathered around the edges, their own training forgotten, and others that passed by slowed down their stride to get a better look. He frowned, squinting. There was a group of three, or was it four, people in the pool, and from the look of it, water was going _everywhere_.

Their small group headed down the stairs and to the swimming pool. Adrian exchanged glances with Oscar, who shrugged his shoulders. He must’ve been thinking the same thing: who was in the pool? Adrian racked his brain for a list of the water elementals he knew, but most of them preferred training in the early morning or at night to avoid getting other prodigies soaked. 

Adrian pushed his way through the clump of people, craning his neck to see over them until his group had made it to the front. There were four people fighting in the water, one of the teams. He recognized the tail of Ramona Sánchez, alias Sirena, before it came crashing down into the water, spraying himself and everyone else watching. He frowned. It was rare to see her team training in the middle of the day. 

“What the hell is Nightmare’s team doing here? It’s not the crack of dawn,” Oscar muttered beside Adrian, clearly as confused as he was. Nova Artino, the leader of Ramona’s team and an old friend of Adrian, claimed her team trained in the early hours of the morning to avoid other people. As Adrian thought of her, lips pursed, one of the prodigies was thrown from the water, landing on their back a good ten feet from the pool. They groaned and stood, spluttering water from their mouth and wiping their eyes. It was Nova, alias Nightmare, and she did _not_ look happy. Her other two teammates, the Whisperer and the Piper, also known as Benton Halthorne and Adèle Toussaint, charged Sirena. Well, the best they could while in her realm of expertise. Her wall of water fell slightly from the distraction, but she blocked the attack physically instead of using her powers, a rare occurence to be seen for a Renegade. Nova took this opportunity to jump back in the water to aid her teammates. It was clearly a three against one fight, hardly fair, but when did Nova Artino ever fight fairly? 

Adrian crossed his arms over his chest, mesmerized by the scuffle. It was always interesting to see what Nightmare would do next in a fight. She was arguably the most unpredictable Renegade in Gatlon, and undeniably one of the best, at least in her age group. From around him, he heard tiny gasps and mumbles of approval or shock whenever she did something. It wasn’t every day they got to watch her team train; because of Nova, they were one of the best teams in the Gatlon branch. It was hard for many to understand why, reasons being Nightmare’s team training at unholy hours in the morning when everyone else was sleeping. It was also odd watching them train because they were one of the few teams that trained together, at least for the most part. Sure, Adrian had seen them running the track or scaling the climbing wall alone, but it wasn’t often, maybe only a couple times every week. 

Unlike others, it didn’t surprise Adrian how good Nightmare’s team was, together and as individuals. He had been friends with Nova from an early age, before his mom died, and even though they had drifted apart in recent years, he knew how determined she was to be the best.

Eventually, her team called a truce to take a break. The crowd of people watching dispersed quickly, as if to avoid being judged by Nova. It was almost comical the way some people were afraid of her or didn’t like her because they believed she was stuck up. Adrian knew that she just liked to keep to herself and her close circle of friends, but was kind to strangers and to those who talked to her. While she could be pretty intimidating, Adrian had seen a side of her that no one else had, a side that showed just how weird and dorky she actually was. 

Sirena was the first out of the water, her tail morphing into two human legs as the water carried her to the edge of the pool. She helped her teammates get out, and Adrian could see the burns and scratches from the pool along her arms. Nova was the last out, gratefully accepting Sirena’s hand and hopping up to sit for a moment at the edge with her. They shared a few words, smiling, their body language toward each other vastly different than it was five minutes ago. 

“Who’s that?” Adrian nearly jumped, forgetting that his team was still beside him. He looked over at Ruby. 

“That’s um…that’s Nightmare’s team.” He cleared his throat. “You might remember them from the trials. They were one of the team’s who wanted you to be a Renegade.”

Ruby hummed thoughtfully, then pointed at Nova. “That’s Nova Artino, right? Ace Anarchy’s niece.”

A mischievous smile lit up Oscar’s face. “Also known as Adrian’s girlfriend.”

Adrian felt his cheeks grow hot. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“That party four months ago says otherwise,” Danna joined in, smirking. 

Adrian rolled his eyes, trying to play it off. They had been teasing him about that party since it happened, and it was getting old. “We’ve been friends for years. It’s not like that.” He let out a long sigh. “Anyway, I’ll introduce you. Just…don’t mention her uncle, okay? It’s kind of a sensitive spot for her.”

He led them over to Nova’s team, who were all chatting as they dried themselves off. “Hey, Nightmare, got a sec?” Nova stopped talking and turned to face Adrian, wringing out her hair with a towel. He took notice of a band aid carefully wrapped around the top of her ear; it must’ve been a new earring, this one looking like an industrial piercing. Being a sensible person, she would have taken it out along with the rest of her piercings to avoid injury while training, but since it was clearly a new one, she couldn’t remove it just yet. He had to hold back a teasing comment; she must’ve had another argument with her parents and went out to get the piercing done to aggravate them. By now, she was almost out of room on her ears and would have to start piercing other parts of her body, something he was sure her parents would kick her out of the house for. 

“Why, so you can rub in the fact that you always get away with stealing people I wanted for my team?” She placed the towel over her shoulder and crossed her arms. 

Adrian couldn’t help the smirk that rose to his lips. “Still jealous that Danna chose me over you, huh?” A year ago at the last trials, Danna had given an exemplary demonstration, resulting in both Adrian and Nova arguing over her. Adrian’s dads had finally let him form his own team that year as long as he could find people. It was also the same year Oscar tried out, and after getting him on his team, Adrian had been determined to find at least one more person, and Danna was perfect. So when Nova Artino spoke up, already with a team of three, one of them having joined that day, all hell broke loose. It was quite the scene; the audience was left in tears and it was in the papers the next morning. He would’ve let her take Danna for her team, knowing that there would be other chances, but he noticed the way her eyes had softened while Danna displayed her powers, the way she leaned forward and rested her head on her arm. Why not mess with her and take away her chance at romance with Danna? When he had teased her of only wanting Danna on her team because she was cute, however, she nearly put him in the hospital. Totally worth it, and Danna had been a valuable member to his team since. 

Nova rolled her eyes. “Please, I’m not that petty.” She shot a sweet smile over at Danna. “But you’re always welcome here whenever you realize how stupid Sketch is.” 

Danna nodded, biting her lip to hide her smile. “Noted.” When Adrian shot her a look, she shrugged. “What? It could be fun.” Fun as in Nova and Danna had struck up a friendship in the past year that was dangerous considering their personalities. Fun as in the two of them on one team would mean Nightmare’s team being unstoppable. Yeah, fun. 

“Actually, I was here to introduce you to Ruby Tucker, alias Red Assassin.” Adrian gestured a hand in Ruby’s direction. She raised a hand and waved awkwardly at Nova. 

“Oh yeah, I remember you from the trials.” Nova’s smile became friendly. “You gave a badass demonstration, by the way. Guillotine deserved what was coming to her for doubting your abilities. I would have welcomed you to my team, but I figured Sketch needed you more.” She winked at Ruby, who let out a small laugh and mumbled a ‘thank you’. “Anyway, this is my team: Adèle, Romana, and Benton.” She pointed to each one as she introduced them. 

“The Piper, Sirena, and the Whisperer.” Ruby nodded enthusiastically. “It’s great to meet you. When my brothers hear about this, they’ll freak.” With a glance to Nova, she added, “they’re big fans of you guys, especially you, Nightmare.”

Nova’s cheeks lit up, her eyes widening in slight surprise. “Oh! That’s awesome.” Although the tone of her voice said otherwise. She looked back at her teammates. “Well, we should probably get back to training. We’re already behind as it is, having to start in the middle of the day.” 

“What’s that about, anyway?” Oscar raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you guys usually train-”

“At four in the morning?” Adèle cut in, lips turned upward. Her accent was as thick as the day she came to Gatlon a year ago from northern France. “Yes, but Nova had to babysit overnight and her parents didn’t get home until early afternoon.”

“Which is why we need to get back to training, right?” Adrian could tell talking about her personal life was awkward, if not upsetting, for her to do. He never really understood why she was that way; even with him when they were alone, she tended to keep the conversation on anything but her home life. Her parents were nice people, and her siblings, while sometimes overwhelming, were fun to be around. 

Adrian nodded, being the first to change the subject. “We should get back to our tour as well. Oscar really wants to show Ruby the cafeteria.”

He noticed the look of gratitude Nova shot his way before she turned her attention to Oscar. “Very important business, then. All you can eat nachos is no joke.”

Oscar agreed, and Sketch’s team bid farewell to Nightmare’s, turning in the direction of the elevators.

“That Benton guy is cuter in person,” Ruby said as they walked, glancing over her shoulder at the retreating forms of Nightmare’s team. Oscar nearly tripped over his cane, blinking wildly in her direction. 

“Pretty sure he’s taken by Johnathan Stillion, right, Adrian?” Danna peered over at Adrian, then nodded her head in Oscar’s direction. Adrian held back a snort.

“Yeah, but don’t worry Ruby, there are plenty of other cute Renegades. Some might even be closer than you think.” 

Adrian may have been thinking about a particular Renegade as he said those words.


	2. Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> here’s a little drabble where adrian’s family comes over for dinner and the two families haven’t seen one another in FOREVER and nova hasn’t talked to Adrian in a couple months soooo :)) I may have gotten a little angsty but that’s not my problem. also yes I definitely played into the stereotypical teenage romance trope and I dont care

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr nova-artino-is-a-queen and say hi!

“I’m home,” Nova called out as she closed the front door behind her. The smell of onions and ginger hung in the air. Nova checked the time on the clock in the living room, setting her bag down beside Papà’s favorite armchair. It was only late afternoon, so she wasn’t hallucinating; her mom was making dinner early. Nova’s family tended to eat much later than the average family, usually in the late evening. According to Papà, that’s how he grew up, so it’s how Nova and her siblings would grow up. Maybe her mom was just cooking now so she wouldn’t have to later; she had done that a few times in the past. Nova shrugged it off. 

From the kitchen, her mom called out to her in Tagalog, her first language. Another thing that made Nova frown; she rarely spoke in her first language unless it was for a specific reason. After all, English was the only language all five of the Artinos had in common. Nevertheless, Nova answered back in Tagalog to appease her mother, telling her how her day went. When her mom asked about her therapist appointment, though, Nova switched back to English so that her dad, who was probably in the kitchen as well, could understand. 

“Dr. Sterling says hi and that she-”

Nova had just plopped her car keys down on a side table in the kitchen when she noticed that they had guests over. She faltered, biting back her usual report she would give to her parents following her therapist appointment. So that’s why Mom was speaking in her first language. 

“No one told me we were having people over tonight.” Nova raised an awkward hand toward the Everhart-Westwood trio, not quite sure if she were speaking to her parents or their guests. Smoothing down her oversized tee shirt, Nova ignored the way her cheeks lit up at her appearance. An old shirt of her dad’s, workout shorts she had been in since her run that morning, and torn up tennis shoes with holes beginning to peak out in the toes. “I would’ve dressed nicer.”

Hugh was the first to break the awkward silence, chuckling and beckoning Nova forward. She gave him and Simon a one-armed hug. 

“It was sort of last minute,” Simon explained, looking Nova up and down. “After all, it’s been so long since we’ve all gotten together.” A smile lit up his face. “While I can’t say you’ve grown, you’ve definitely changed, Nova. Every time we see you, you look more and more like your mother.” He was right; it had been a while since the two families had spent time together. Nova hadn’t seen Adrian’s dads in months other than the occasional wave from across a room at headquarters. When she was younger, it seemed as if the two families had more time for one another. It was odd, when she considered it, how close her family was to the Everhart-Westwoods, all because of a series of events that occurred when Nova was no older than six. Her father had gone to the Renegades for protection from Nova’s uncle, and they promised to protect him and his family. After a failed attempt by Nova’s uncle to kill her entire family, they were sent to a temporary home where they would be much safer. Then after Ace Anarchy was defeated, Nova’s father went to work for the Renegades with a vision of making the world a better place. Now, he sat comfortably as head of the weapons department, something Nova knew he wasn’t necessarily proud of, but it brought in a decent amount of money for his family. And besides, the weapons were currently being used for good. At least, that was what her dad said to reassure himself and his family. 

“Too bad I also got her height,” Nova retorted.

“ _Nak_ , you’re perfect just the way you are,” Mom chided from the stove where she was stirring a pot of what looked like a soup or stew. Nova rolled her eyes, used to her mother lecturing her on her negative view of her appearance. 

She turned to Adrian to hug him next, as it was expected, despite the sudden skip in her chest. It had been a few months since she had seen much of him or talked to him, both of them being held down by responsibilities and Renegade duties. Ever since they got their own teams a couple years ago, she had noticed how they began drifting apart. It was upsetting because they had been so close when they were young, but what could they do about it? Nova barely had enough time these days for her studies, something her parents were strict on her having. She supposed it was a good thing, seeing as she had developed confusing and distracting feelings for her childhood friend that went beyond friendship. And as her mom liked to say, people would enter and leave her life when she needed them, that they were there or not there for a reason. 

It was hard not to breathe in or let her eyes fall shot when Nova wrapped both of her arms around Adrian’s shoulders, lifting up on the tips of her toes. She tried not to shiver as he bent down to meet her, arms encircling her waist. Then it was over too soon, and Nova hopped up on the kitchen counter beside where he stood. 

“Get down from there,” Nova’s dad passed by her with a handful of bowls, swatting at her lightly once he set them down. Sharing a look with Adrian, who bit his lip to hold back his smile, she slid back down. 

“So, what’s for dinner?” Nova leaned against the counter. 

Papà opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Nova’s siblings came running through the kitchen, Thomas chasing after Evie with a red face and tears running down his cheeks. 

“Give it back!” Thomas screeched. He managed to wrap a fist around Evie’s shirt before she ripped it from his grasp, dancing away. “Papà, tell Evie to give my action figure back!”

Nova saw her father’s face age about ten years as he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose beneath his glasses. “Evie, give your brother his toy back, please.”

“He wouldn’t leave me alone!” Evie stuck her tongue out at Thomas. “He kept opening my door and running away laughing, so now his stupid toy is mine.” 

Nova shifted toward Adrian, who leaned down to listen as she mumbled, “She just got herself into huge trouble, watch.”

Papà narrowed his eyes at Evie. “Evie Grace Artino, what have we said about closed doors in this house?” 

Nova elbowed Adrian softly. 

Evie faltered, her hand that was held over her head to keep the toy away from Thomas falling. “Did I say my bedroom door? I..I-I um…I meant-”

“Give the toy back, and I’ll consider lightening your punishment for breaking the rules.”

Evie groaned loudly and shoved the toy at Thomas, whose skin and hair, Nova noticed, was a soft shade of red. At this point, Nova was used to her brother’s recent discovery that he was a prodigy like her. It wasn’t much, seemingly, because he only changed colors depending on his mood. But Nova had a feeling that there was much more to it, and that he would learn more about himself in the coming years. 

“It’s not fair! Nova’s allowed to have her door shut!” 

Nova began to speak, retorting that she had earned that right, but Mom beat her to it.

“Nova is five years older than you, Evie.” She brought the stirring pot over to the island where she set it on a hot pad. “And much more mature. She’s a leader in the Renegades and has nearly perfect grades in her studies and she does her chores and work without being asked. She’s earned that right, and you will too, once we see you trying in school and emptying the dishwasher on time and not after we’ve asked ten times.”

“Explains why you’re always grounded every other week,” Evie grumbled, shoving past Nova. 

“Anyway,” Mom took her apron off. “Dinner’s ready. And to answer your question, Nova, it’s Sinigang.”

Nova smiled. Her favorite. 

* * *

“No boys in bedrooms!” Mom called up the stairs as Nova led Adrian up. 

“Oh darn, there goes my plan to seduce my best friend.” She shrugged at Adrian. “Sorry, maybe next time.” She pretended not to notice how he averted her gaze, cheeks red. 

“I mean it, Nova Jean!” 

“We’re just going to watch a movie or something, calm down!” 

Even as she said it, she led Adrian to the back of the upstairs where her bedroom was. 

“Didn’t your mom just say-”

Nova reached for his hand, pulling him inside. “We’re not going to be in my room.” She nodded to her window. “The roof?”

A smile crept onto Adrian’s face, understanding filling his eyes. He let Nova pull him to the window. She lifted it up and stepped out onto the sill, then pushed herself up onto the roof, an easy feat as the roof was slanted right beside her bedroom window. When they were little, she and Adrian would climb up there and talk for hours until Papà would have to go out in the backyard and yell up at them to come down because it was time for Adrian to go home. 

The wind picked up slightly, and Nova peered back over her shoulder. “Grab a blanket from my bed.”

She crawled to the center, their spot, and waited for Adrian. When he poked his head up, she grinned and caught the blanket thrown at her. She wrapped it around herself as he joined her. 

“How’s your team doing?” She scooted closer to him, telling herself it was because she was cold and he radiated heat. “I saw Ruby the other day in the training hall. We ran a few laps together before she had to go.”

“Good, I suppose.” He rested back on his elbows. “Danna misses you, by the way. She won’t shut up about how you two need to grab coffee or breakfast.”

Nova chuckled. “I know! We’ve been texting, but our schedules just haven’t lined up in a while. I haven’t been able to relax much the past few months with this new schedule I’m on.” She let out a sigh, resting her chin on her knees. “Especially since I-” she stopped herself, shoulders tensing up. Adrian didn’t know about her therapist. In fact, no one knew that she had started going to therapy, not even Adèle or Ramona or Benton, some of the people she spent most of her time around. She didn’t need people thinking she was weak.

“Since you what?” Even though she her back was to him, Nova could hear the frown in his voice. 

“Nothing.” Nova chewed the inside of her cheek. “Forget I said anything.”

Adrian sat up. “No, what?” When she didn’t give him an immediate answer, avoiding his piercing gaze, he nudged her gently. “Come on, Nova. We’ve been friends for almost ten years. You know you can tell me anything.”

She picked at a hole in her leggings. “It’s not that I’m embarrassed or anything. It’s a completely normal thing people do. It’s just…not everyone would agree with me, and you know that I’m not the most liked person in Gatlon.” It wasn’t something she acknowledged often because it always left her in a sour mood; it always lingered at the bottom of her conscience, like how Evie would overstay her welcome in Nova’s room sometimes. Because of her uncle, because of what he did before his death, the Artino’s had to tread lightly in the city. Her parents, maybe not so much, since so many sympathized with them choosing to do the right thing and nearly losing their lives over it. And Evie presented no danger because she wasn’t a prodigy, and she was too young to even remember her uncle. Thomas was still a young child, despite being a prodigy, and didn’t even know how to divide numbers bigger than twenty without help. Nova, on the other hand, was kept under supervision by just about all of Gatlon. There were people who didn’t like the fact that she was a Renegade, much less a team leader for one of the best teams in the city. They didn’t like that she was friends with Adrian Everhart, son of the late Lady Indomitable and adopted son of the Dread Warden and Captain Chromium, all three being members on the Renegades Council. Rumors had been spread in the past of her true intentions with the Everhart boy, and how much she trained, and how intelligent she was. After all, she had known Ace Anarchy; he was her Uncle Alec. She had loved him and the gifts he brought her family. That was all before she knew who he truly was, of course. 

But even then, in recent years, she had been contacted by the living Anarchists, confronted by them in person sometimes. The Council didn’t know, and it was a secret Nova planned on taking to her grave, despite never acting on their kind words and suggestions to join them, that the Renegades were flawed and corrupt. She knew they only wanted her because of her bloodline. Their words were lies.

Nova couldn’t afford to make mistakes in this world with so many eyes on her. 

Adrian shifted closer, the movement almost subtle. He placed a hand on her back, and Nova tried to hide her shiver. “They can all go to Hell. No one knows you like I do, Nova. The media…the media will always find a way to twist good into bad, no matter how hard you try.” He traced a small pattern on her back. “If you don’t want to tell me, I get it, and I won’t press anymore, but you can trust me. I promise not to tell anyone.”

Nova allowed herself to sink into his touch, just a little. After a moment, she said quietly, “I started going to therapy. You know how I don’t need to sleep? How whenever I try, I’m taken back to that night?” Adrian nodded. She had told him the story years ago. “Well, I’ve been going for that, partly.” She cleared her throat. “I learned from my therapist that I have a decent amount of anxiety, and I’m pretty fucking depressed, so I’m going for that as well.”

His hand paused on her back, then shifted to take her hand. She didn’t even realize it had started shaking. “That’s good you’re seeing someone. You’ve never been good at opening up.” She had to let out a soft laugh at that. 

“Yeah.” She looked down at their joined hands, thought of how they would look better laced together. “But I mean, it’s helped a lot. She’s helping me work through the trauma and pain I deal with on a daily basis. And she’s patient, too, so if she makes a suggestion and it takes me weeks to act upon it, she’s not upset. She’s always happy to hear me try something new.”

“Like?” Adrian looked down at her. 

She hummed. “Well, at first it was little things, like making my team train during the day instead of at four in the morning.” When Adrian frowned, she continued. “I’ve always done that because I was insecure about people watching me, about what they would say. And then it kind of just became routine, so I didn’t bother changing it until she suggested I do.”

“There were a few times I remember seeing you train during the day,” Adrian said. “They weren’t often, and I always assumed it was because something changed in your schedule.”

Nova nodded. “I hated those days. Usually, I would just try to tune everyone out but myself and my team.” She bit her lip. “Now, it’s still a little weird, but I’m getting used to it every day.” A snort escaped her mouth. “And now people can stop saying I have something to hide because I train so early.” 

“Stop worrying about what other people think.” He squeezed her hand gently, that stupid soft smile returning to his lips.

“Gee,” Nova deadpanned, “I wish I would’ve thought of that. Thank you. I’m cured.” 

“You know what I mean.”

Nova tore her hand out of his, despite liking the way it felt, to push him gently. He was laughing at her now, so she pushed him again, this time a bit harder. It seemed to have no effect on him. Why was he so infuriating? Even from going months without seeing one another, even from drifting apart in recent years, he still had the audacity to be so comfortable around her while she was an awkward mess. She guessed that may also play a part in the reason why her pulse tended to quicken in his presence the past six or more months. She also guessed that was why she enjoyed her friendship with him as much as she did, and that he was debatably the closest person to her. They could always pick up right where they left off no matter how long they were apart, as if they had talked just the other day. 

Adrian nudged her back with his arm playfully. They went back and forth like this, playing the game for another minute or so, the two of them erupting into quite giggles, before he grabbed both of her arms as they pushed against his chest. She tried to pull away, grinning widely, but her laughter died in her throat when she looked up to meet his eyes. They stared into hers with an intensity that brought color to her cheeks. Her smile faded. 

“Nova, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now,” he breathed. Minutes ago, he had sounded so calm, so confident, and now she could hear the trembling in his voice, the uncertainty. She could’ve sworn she saw his eyelashes dip, eyes glancing at her gaping mouth. Instead of telling her, he inched his face closer to hers. 

Inhaling sharply, Nova almost scrambled away. Was he… _great skies_. She remained still, though, and surprised herself by letting her eyes flutter shut, tilting in. After all, wasn’t this what she had been wanting for so long? Many nights had been spent tossing and turning in her bed, trying to make herself get at least a few minutes of sleep despite not needing it, wondering if he thought of her the way she thought of him. They weren’t kids anymore. Things had changed. 

But they were still friends. Best friends. What if…whatever this was…would send them down a dangerous path? It could open up something new for both of them, or it could completely ruin a decade long friendship. And with her schedule, she didn’t have time for it, even though she really, really, truly wanted it. Wanted him. This was the first time they had actually hung out in months, and while they could pick up where they left off as friends, would it be the same in a relationship?

Too many questions raced through her mind as Adrian’s lips brushed against hers, sending electricity down her spine. She had kissed Adrian before, nearly three years ago at a party where they played spin the bottle. Back then, it was an innocent kiss, an awkward and amateur exchange between two friends who had both just recently had the talk with their parents. She remembered their friends teasing them about it for months, and Nova and Adrian had mutually agreed that it held little meaning and that nothing would change in their friendship. 

Body trembling, Nova swiveled her head to face the backyard before Adrian’s lips could press against hers and she would be lost in him. She concentrated her eyes on the old playset in the yard. 

“Do you want to play I Spy?” From the corner of her eye, she could see Adrian blink at her, confused and deflated at her sudden rejection. She dared to peek back at him when he didn’t answer. “It was your favorite game once upon a time, right?”

Adrian gulped, staring at her for what seemed like an eternity, before he nodded, almost as if he understood what she was trying to silently convey through her eyes. She was scared, terrified even, of a kiss and what it could mean. Their friendship was one of the only things tethering her to sanity some days, at least it seemed that way. 

_Please, please, please don’t hate me. I need normal right now._

He nodded. “Yeah, sure.”


	3. The Mall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> im not gonna lie i lowkey based this off of my own (very few) experiences going to the nasty old mall in the next town over with my friends. lets just say: very worried parents, sticky atmosphere, and great people watching but also pedophiles left and right sksksks. the movie is also based on a movie I saw with friends when I was thirteen, but I saw it at the nice, trustworthy outlet mall closer to my house lmao. anyone else ever seen the boy? anyway, enjoy me projecting my awkward young teen experiences on the AU where Nova’s parents live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr nova-artino-is-a-queen and say hi!

Nova was practically vibrating with happiness. She bounced up and down in the passenger seat of her mom’s car, leg jiggling in excitement. Only half paying attention to the radio, she hummed along to the music playing. Today was a new day. A breakthrough in Nova’s thirteen years of life. 

For the first time ever, after countless hours and years of begging, Nova was being dropped off at the mall to hang out with her friends. 

Her parents were what most would call overprotective. By this point, Nova was used to it, but it was still annoying when she had to miss out on fun activities just because Mom said no. They never even gave a clear answer when she asked why, too. It was always “Because we’re the parents and we say so,” usually followed by them telling Nova to go clean her room or entertain her siblings. Even with this new experience, Nova hadn’t been completely honest when her parents grilled her on the details. As far as they knew, Nova was just seeing a movie with a few friends and would not be venturing into the main mall. They were under the illusion that Adrian Everhart, Nova’s best friend and the only boy her parents trusted, was going to be the only male present. Not that it mattered much, anyway, seeing as Nova had expressed her attraction to girls as well at dinner one night about a year ago. Still, according to her parents, adolescent boys were trouble. All except for stupidly perfect Adrian Everhart. He was the kind of kid that everyone and their mother couldn’t help but be friends with. The kind of boy that, after leaving someone’s house, the mom would say “I always liked him. Good kid.” The same couldn’t be said about Nova, his partner in crime since they were six and seven years old. 

Her mom parked the car along the curb outside the movie theater entrance of the mall. Leaning back from the wheel with a heavy sigh, she looked over at Nova. “Just a movie, right?”

Nova nodded firmly, hand already reaching for the door in her hurry to escape. She could see the silhouettes of her friends, waiting in line for tickets. 

“Hold on there, young lady.” Nova heard the clicking of the lock and groaned. “I want you to text me once every hour, okay? Stay with Adrian no matter what. If anything happens, call me or your father immediately.” Nova inched toward the door again, this time trying to unlock it subtly. Her mother still noticed. “Don’t talk to anyone you don’t know.”

Nova felt an evil smile creep onto her lips. “But what if they’re selling candy?”

“I mean it, Nova Jean.” She swore she saw the flash of fear in her mother’s eyes. “No funny business. You know how I feel about leaving you, and here of all places.” She gestured to the building before them. “Be on your best behavior. There are-”

“Eyes on me at all times, I know.” She rolled her eyes, thinking back to all the times those words had been repeated to her whenever she went anywhere. When she was younger, they confused her. But now, Nova knew her mom meant the media and how the older Nova got, 

the more people watched her every move. After all, her family had a reputation. “Can I go now? Adrian’s already coming over here.” 

Closing her eyes, Tala Artino nodded. She reached for Nova’s hand when her eyes reopened, now soft. “I love you, sweetheart, Be safe. I’ll pick you up at 10.” 

“Love you too, Mom.” Reaching over, Nova pressed a kiss to her mom’s cheek. Then, she was finally allowed to exit the vehicle. Adrian, waiting outside, greeted her with a hug. Nova couldn’t help but notice his growth spurt in recent months. She had always been the short one, but there had been a time once where she didn’t have to tilt her head up to look at him. Now, her neck stretched more and more each time she saw him. She should’ve seen it coming; his mom had been tall, and he was a spitting image of her. 

“Hi, Mrs. Artino.” Adrian waved as the passenger window rolled down. All traces of a stern parent vanished from her mother’s face when she waved back. 

“Hi, honey. You’re going to make sure my daughter doesn’t do anything she’s not supposed to, right?” 

“Mom!”

But Adrian laughed and simply nodded, putting on his dumb charming smile that won over every parent. They said bye to her mother. Nova watched until the car had disappeared from view before turning to face her friend. 

“Where should we go first?” 

Adrian frowned. “Are we not seeing the movie? Everyone else already has their tickets.” 

“They can see it if they want.” Nova wrapped an arm around Adrian’s and pulled him forward. “But it honestly looks boring. All horror movies are the same.” 

But Adrian didn’t look convinced, and while Nova wanted nothing more than to explore the mysterious place her mother hated with a passion, she could tell he wanted to see the movie. Well, the movie was only an hour and a half. And it was only 5 in the evening right now. They had plenty of time. 

Nova let out a sigh, then pulled Adrian in the direction of the ticket line. “Fine, but you’re staying in line with me to buy a ticket.” 

Adrian snorted. “Just as long as you sit next to me in case I get scared so I can hold your hand.” He seemed almost shy in saying that, despite trying to be nonchalant and joking. Nova glanced over at him and noticed how his cheeks and neck had darkened. A flutter twirled in her belly, but she pushed it aside. Those feelings were nothing new by now. But for whatever reason, she only felt them when she was around her best friend. 

* * *

“That movie was terrible!” Nova said as soon as she exited the theater with her friends. A few people glanced over at her, shooting disapproving looks before recognition dawned on their faces and their eyes flitted between her and Adrian and the linked arms between their bodies. Nova had to refrain from making faces at them, remembering her mother’s warnings. 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Ramona said with an eye roll. “At least it wasn’t the same as every other horror movie.” Ramona was a Renegade, like Nova and Adrian. She had been chosen by Nova at the last trials a few months before to be a part of her team. Usually, the Council didn’t let the younger Renegades participate in the trials other than to watch, but they gave Nova an exemption at the ripe age of thirteen. Why, she wasn’t fully sure, especially when Adrian’s dads were on the Council and still wouldn’t let him create his. She suspected her parents had a bit of a pull in that, as well as the Council recognizing the amount of time Nova put in every day for the organization. After all, she was dedicated to righting the wrongs her uncle had done in the past. Her team couldn’t do much anyway. Patrols were too dangerous, so they were forced to stick to duties inside headquarters, something that quickly grew boring but at least helped Nova’s team bond. 

Benton, Nova’s other recruit, shook his head. “No, I’m with Nova on this one. Possessed dolls? C’mon, it’s been done like, fifty times already.” 

Nova headed the group as they ventured into the main part of the mall. The aroma of pretzels and stinky children pierced her nostrils. Nova hadn’t been inside a mall for some years. Her mom tried to avoid the place as much as possible, as it wasn’t the cleanest place on earth. Usually, if they had to go to a store in the mall, they would spend time only in that store, parking near an entrance by the store in order to spend the least amount of time in the main mall as possible. Tala had practically drilled Nova every single day leading up to her mall escapade on what to do and what not to do, as well as reminding her of the dangers of the media and of course, the splotchy-faced pedophiles who camped out in the food court all day watching teen girls pass by in crop tops and cut off shorts. 

“Okay, but you have to admit the creepy dude at the end was a surprise,” Adrian countered, pushing his glasses up over his nose. Nova bit back a smile; she had promised not to make fun of his scratchy, changing voice. Even if he did squeak every other word. “Living in the walls?” He shuddered. “Spying on her that entire time?” 

Ramona muttered something under her breath in Spanish. “No wonder his parents left. I honestly would’ve left sooner if I were them. Screw his feelings.” 

“Yeah, he was weird, but that kind of came out of nowhere.” Benton ran a hand through his blond locks. “The plot holes are endless. Why didn’t his parents just up and abandon him? What was keeping them there? Why was he in the fucking walls to begin with? Why didn’t they get him mental help sooner?” 

Nova gasped, quieting the group. She had spotted one of her favorite shops, a small store that sold band and other nerdy merch. Her mom wasn’t a big fan, seeing as they sold goth and emo type stuff, and their workers were ‘scary looking’. She grabbed Adrian’s hand in her excitement, missing the way his gaze widened at the gesture, and tugged him in the direction of the shop. 

“There’s a shirt I’ve had my eyes on for the longest time,” she explained to him as they halted in front of the wall lined with band t-shirts. Benton and Ramona trailed off from them, drifting over to the racks and cubbies of fandom merch. 

Adrian hummed in understanding. “The West Side?”

“East Side,” Nova corrected, glaring at his teasing shit eating smile. “If you’re going to their concert with me in November then you better learn their name at least, you asshole.” 

Adrian bumped her shoulder lightly, but helped her look for the shirt after she gave him a brief description. Just when she was beginning to think they didn’t have it, Adrian let go of her hand to reach forward and to the left. When he turned back to her, he had the shirt, and in a size medium, just as she liked it. The baggier, the better. She grinned and accepted the shirt, wrapping an arm around him in a loose hug. 

That’s when she saw a flash in the corner of her eye. 

Flipping around, she saw a girl a few years older than her, the phone in her hand dropping awkwardly. Her group of friends all giggled and whispered to one another. Based on the way they were dressed and were acting, Nova could tell they had followed her and her friends into the store. 

The girls entire face turned beet red, but that didn’t stop her from tearing her gaze from Nova to look at the photo she had taken. Before Nova could even open her mouth to ask her to delete the photo, the group of girls was gone, flocking out of the store quickly as if they hadn’t even been there.And that was when Nova noticed the hidden phones of quite a few shoppers. One was held in crossed arms as the lady pretended to look at a pair of shoes, another behind a clothing rack. One didn’t even try hiding their camera, or even bother to whisper to the person beside them. 

A chill ran through Nova’s body, and suddenly she didn’t feel very well. Well, her few minutes of freedom were fun while they lasted. She closed her eyes and practically leaned against Adrian, jaw clenched as she pressed the shirt back into his hands. 

“Shit.”


	4. Rainy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nova's parents find out something that has greatly changed her relationship with them. Not knowing where else to turn, she goes to her old friend, Adrian's house, fearing she can never return home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr nova-artino-is-a-queen and say hi!

It was pouring outside, much to Nova’s luck. She only prayed that she wouldn’t crash her car in this weather; she wasn’t even sure if she had grabbed her wallet in her hurry to leave her house. 

She couldn’t go back after this. Her parents were done. Disappointed. Ashamed. Angry. She had betrayed their trust once again, but this time, it went too far. This was a secret she never should have kept from them, and now they were going to kick her out onto the streets. 

Thankfully, Adrian only lived a few blocks away, so she didn’t have to leave the neighborhood. Stepping out of her car, she could barely even register the fat raindrops that began to drench her entire body. 

He answered on the fifth knock, looking as if he had just woken up from a nap. Nova didn’t even let herself take in his ruffled state. He blinked at her, frowning at her red eyes and wet clothes. 

“Nova? What’s wr-”

“Are your parents home?”

Opening the door a bit more, he shook his head slowly, obviously confused. “No? They’re at headquarters righ-umph!” 

Nova launched herself at him, burying her head into his sweatshirt. His armed immediately wrapped around her, although his body stiffened in alarm. 

“Nova, hey, Nova.” He relaxed quickly. A hand made circles on her back. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. I’m here, yeah?” He held her as she sobbed, muttering incoherent gibberish into his chest. She was probably getting tears and snot all over him, but that was the least of her worries. 

Struggling for air, she gasped, “I can’t go home, Adrian. They’ll kill me. They’re go-going to kill me. I...I-I-I can’t go home. I’m never going to see Evie or-or Thomas ever again because I’m a fu-fucking idiot.” She felt a hand on her head, running through her hair. 

He made small shushing sounds. “Is this about another piercing? Or did you finally get a tattoo?” 

Nova heard the door shut behind her and the lock. She shook her head into the sweatshirt. “Much...much worse.” 

As if to remind her of her situation, a loud  _ Bang! Bang! Bang! _ resonated in her skull. Suddenly she felt as if she were falling and gripped Adrian. Her entire body shook, despite the fact that she was burning up. 

“Breathe in and out, Nova.” She felt him gently guide her to the floor, something he always did for her when she was having an attack. “I’m here. You’re in my house, okay? Everything’s alright. I’m not going to leave you.” He backed up a little to give her space, but she made a whimpering noise in the back of her throat and reached out for him. He pulled her head into his lap, one hand going back to tracing circles on her skin and the other holding her hand. 

She didn’t know how much time had passed before she finally felt her breathing slow down. Exhaustion rolled through her body, and she fell limp against Adrian’s knee. Somewhere far away, he asked her a few questions, to which she nodded to, only partly paying attention. 

Somehow, she ended up on his bed with a glass of water in her hands and his soft comforter over her legs. He sat beside her on the edge, the lines on his forehead showing just how worried he was. Only when she silently gestured did he move to sit closer to her on the bed. 

She was quiet for a long time, but Adrian was patient. He always was. She had had many breakdowns in his presence, and he knew how to help her get through them every time. Even though they had drifted apart in their earlier teen years, they were now both making the effort to spend more time together. It had been about a year since they made this commitment, and while it was hard and her teammates and friends teased her about it, it was the best decision she had made in a long time. 

“There’s something I need to tell you,” she mumbled, setting the still-full water glass on his nightstand. She curled her legs up to her chest, kicking back the bedspread. 

“Take your time.” He reached for her hand, and she gladly accepted his. 

Nova sniffled. “For a while now, the Anarchists have been contacting me.” A single tear slipped down her cheek. “They’ve been feeding me lies about the Renegades, taunting me for betraying my own blood.”

Adrian inhaled sharply. “Nova...what? I-”

“There’s more,” she snapped, but her voice shrank again. “They...they want me to join them, saying that the Renegades are liars and that they wanted my family to die that night.” She swallowed, feeling disgust wash over her. “And now, I’m afraid of what they’re going to do to me or my family.” She glanced at him, hand tightening around his. “To you. They know how close we are.” 

Adrian searched her face. “You should’ve said something sooner, Nova. This is serious. How long has this been going on?”

She shrugged, looking down at the sheets. “A year and a half?” Adrian cursed under his breath. Another tear dripped down her cheek. “Adrian, you can’t tell anyone, okay? You know the shit I get every day just for being an Artino. I’ve had to prove myself since I was six, had to...had to play the part of a media darling just to stay on most people’s good side. All that could vanish if this got out. It won’t matter that I’ve ignored them. You know how the tabloids are.” 

Adrian shushed her as her voice started to rise and shake again. “I can’t just do nothing, Nova. You know that.” Something flashed in his eyes. “You matter more than anything else in the world to me. I can’t stand to see you like this.” Nova blushed, only then becoming aware of how close they were sitting on his bed, how weirdly handsome he looked in his grey sweatpants and sweatshirt. Her eyes drifted to the necklace peeking out from his sweatshirt, stomach dropping at the thought of it hanging over her. 

She shook her head, partly in response and partly to get her mind away from such imaginations. “My parents found out today and confronted me when I came home from headquarters.” She inhaled shakily. “I was a dumbass and left a letter out on my desk.”

Adrian’s face softened in understanding. “They were angry you didn’t tell them?”

“Furious,” she breathed. “They...they told me I wasn’t their daughter if…” her face crumpled, and he wrapped his arms around her again, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. “If I was actually thinking about joining them.” 

“But you’re not,” he reassured her, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. That only made more tears fall. 

Nova leaned back, wanting to tell him more. How she had actually considered what they said. Not about joining them, but what they mentioned about the system being corrupt and unfair. Sometimes, when she really thought about it, she could see where they were right. It made her feel dirty inside and out for betraying everything she ever knew. 

“You’re a good person, Nova.” He attempted to smile. “We’ll talk about what to do about them contacting you later. Everything’s going to be alright. You’re one of the best people I know. No, don’t shake your head,” he laughed, which caused the corner of her lip to lift up just slightly. She loved his laugh. “You are. They’re just upset right now. Any parent would be. Give them some time to think through things. You know my dads never mind how long you stay.” After a slight pause, he added, a bit awkwardly, “Okay?” 

Nova glanced down at his lips, pinched in worry, then back up at his eyes, and she may have responded, or she may not have. But the next thing she knew, her lips were pressed firmly against his. He made a noise in surprise; Nova felt his body go stiff beside her. She pulled back, an apology already forming in her mouth. He blinked at her, the hand that had been rubbing circles on her arm now still. Then he did something that sent Nova over the edge: He kissed her back. 

She gasped, allowing him to deepen the kiss and pull her closer. Nova’s entire body shook as she climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. One hand splayed at the small of her back, the other reaching up to dig into her hair. A soft moan escaped her lips at the way her skin tingled from the contact; she would’ve been mortified if Adrian didn’t act like the sound was the best thing he had ever heard. 

He broke the kiss, only to murmur her name and words of affection as his lips,  _ great skies his lips _ , traced a path from her jaw down to the hollow part of her neck. Nova’s head was pounding, her heart racing, her body feeling about a thousand new emotions all at once.

Nova had kissed people before, had even kissed Adrian once when they were fourteen as part of a dare and came close about a year ago. But none of those kisses were like this one. No, she had never, ever,  _ ever  _ been kissed like this before. As if she were the most precious thing in the world; as if she mattered and was cared for. 

His lips returned to her face, kissing away the tear stains on her cheeks before returning to her mouth. An explosion of stars lit up behind Nova’s eyelids, and she welcomed his caresses fervently, pressing her body so close to his until she felt as if she might suffocate. But at that moment, she didn’t care. 

For so long, she had dreamed and thought of and imagined what it might be like to kiss Adrian Everhart. Partly in shame, for he was her best friend. They had known one another for ten years; they weren’t supposed to feel this way about one another. Every time she had ever thought of a life where they were something other than friends, she chastised herself. She couldn’t ruin their friendship and reveal her true feelings for him if he didn’t feel the same. When she was younger, she had seen Adrian as something akin to a brother. That had all changed after they had first kissed as awkward, naïve fourteen year olds. But if he had been like family for her before then, surely Adrian only thought about her as a sister. Right? Now she wasn’t so sure. 

Adrian’s fingers ran over the length of her thigh, then his hand came to rest in the crevice under her knee. Nova shook in his hold, her breath beginning to grow shallow. A sick, heavy brick dropped in her stomach, the exact opposite of the feeling of pleasure she had felt just minutes before. What if this wasn’t all she had wanted? What if they were just caught up in the moment, and Adrian was only kissing her because she had initiated it? He could break the embrace at any moment and push her away in disgust when realization would hit, and just like that, the best ten years of her life would go down the drain. 

She needed air, but also didn’t want to let go just yet. A new wave of tears threatened to spill behind her closed eyelids. She was such an  _ idiot.  _ Adrian could never, would never, love her the way she loved him. 

Not knowing what else to do, Nova allowed her power to roll through her, gently so as not to hurt him like she would with criminals. It had been years since she had been kind with her power; she hadn’t used it that way since Thomas was a screaming toddler. The effects were the same, though. Adrian broke the kiss as his head lolled back against the headboard. Fat tears streamed down Nova’s face. Adrian had offered her a place to stay, but after what had just happened, how could she? 

Legs shaky, Nova pushed herself off of him and scooted toward the end of the bed. She wanted nothing more than to just curl up beside him and fall asleep in his arms. After all, he was one of the few people that made her feel safe enough to fall asleep. But no. She had to go. Where, she wasn’t quite sure yet. Anywhere but here. Maybe she would call up Danna or Ramona and explain the situation. Both were familiar with her home life and the occasional desire to just disappear for a while from the chaos that was the Artino household. 

Thank the sky above that Hugh and Simon weren’t home, or else she would have some explaining to do. Due to her current state, just making it out of the large house was a miracle. It was pouring harder now than it was when Nova came over. She closed the front door and, finding the spare key hidden under a small statue, locked it and hid the key again. 

Between the pouring rain and her blurry eyesight, seeing was very difficult for Nova while getting out of Adrian’s neighborhood. She could barely think, barely breathe, even as she called Danna through her car’s Bluetooth system because she was at the top of her contact list. In the corner of her mind, she heard her Papà’s voice telling her she needed to slow down because of the slick roads, like he always tells her to drive slowly in the rain. She can hardly process even that warning. 

_ “Don’t be an emotional driver,” _ Papà would say whenever she got upset back when she was learning to drive.  _ “Pull over somewhere safe if you’re upset or angry, va bene?” _ And Nova would nod her head and take deep breaths to calm down. 

Images of Adrian flitted through her head, only succeeding in making her more upset than she was. How was she going to explain herself when he woke up and inevitably called her? 

_ “Nova? Nova, are you there?” _ Nova fixed her eyes on the little screen in her car where it showed a call was in process. Blinking she tried to read who it was, not quite sure she remembered who she had called. It was Danna, right.

Nova looked back up at the road just as she ran a red light, being t-boned by an incoming car. 


	5. Recovery (Sequel to Rainy Day)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sequel to rainy day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this au was solely meant for writing out nova's experiences with her family and NOT nodrian but here we are. i promise future chapters will be more younger-nova experiences and/or family focused. but for now, bask in the nodrian.
> 
> come say hi to me on tumblr, novas-bitch (previously nova-artino-is-a-queen)!

Evie was curled beside Nova, braiding her hair as Nova ate a bowl of yogurt with fruit mixed in. It was one of the only foods that she could consume without throwing up, oddly. She was on forced bed rest after returning from an overnight stay at the hospital. Frankly, she didn’t understand why they made her stay the night anyway; the biggest injury she had was her arm probably. But hospitals were weird about things like that, always wanting patients to stay longer than they needed just to stay safe. Nova did cut her head open from the broken glass, but at most she had a continuous headache that was only a minor annoyance. 

Multiple times a day, Nova had to listen to her mom lecture her on how irresponsible she was and how lucky she was to come out of the accident the way she did and not dead. While she was right, the constant reminder gave Nova a greater headache than the stitched up cut across the side of her head. 

“Does it hurt?” Evie asked, breaking the silence. She normally wasn’t so docile with Nova, but since the accident, she had started showing her soft side a little more. It was pleasant.

“Does what hurt?” Nova made the mistake of shifting her body slightly toward her sister. A sharp, agonizing pain shot through her right side. The bowl clattered to her lap as her good arm went to the ice pack over her ribs. Because of this, as well as her broken arm, Nova resorted to only wearing sports bras and sweatpants since she got home. 

“Well, I was going to say your arm, but clearly I’m thinking about the wrong thing.” Evie was unfazed at Nova’s pain. 

After a moment, letting the pain ease enough for her to talk, Nova relaxed and picked her bowl back up. “It’s not that bad. Just...a different kind of pain than what I’m used to.”

Evie hummed in thought. She tied up the second braid on Nova’s head, giving her pigtails. There were big strands hanging out from the woven pattern, due to Nova’s hair being so short, but it was good overall. Impressive, almost, for Evie’s age. 

Nova turned the channel on her television, figuring she should check in on the news. It was nearing the evening, and she hadn’t seen any news coverage that day. The show that talked about the latest celebrity gossip was still on before the nightly news. It took a moment to figure out what they were discussing, but once they showed detailed pictures of the crash, Nova let out a sigh.

Beside her, Evie stilled, hand falling from Nova’s hair. They watched the coverage together in silence. 

“...ran a red light, causing an incoming car to hit the backside of her vehicle and flipping the car over onto its hood.” The woman shook her head. “First responders were quick to the scene. Artino appeared to be the only one hurt in the incident.”

“She’s lucky no one else was hurt in the incident, Heather. The other party involved has chosen to not press charges” the man added with a grim smile. “The cause of the accident is still unknown. For now, the world can only wonder what this means for Artino’s future with the Renegades.”

“You make a good point, Steve.” Heather tapped her long, fake nails on the glass desk in front of her. “The Council, however, refuses to make any comment at this time. As for Artino, she is at home-”

Nova turned the channel again to a different news station, one she knew wouldn’t report gossip about her life. The pain from her screw up was almost as bad as her injuries. She hadn’t received a call from HQ since returning from the hospital, but her wreck was plastered on every tabloid and the main discussion of every news station, it seemed like. The car was totaled, flipping over after being t-boned in an intersection. The young couple that hit her had been nice, more worried about her crawling out of an upside down car and the blood streaming from her forehead than the severely dented front of their car. They had even called for an ambulance themselves, and stayed with Nova while the police and fire truck and ambulance showed up. Nova remembered thinking of what her father had told her about what to do if she ever got in an accident, his lectures including to keep a safe distance from the other party and to not speak to them until the police arrived, but they had been so kind to her, and she had been so out of it and dizzy that she didn’t care. 

“People will forget about this in a week.” Evie reached for Nova’s forgotten spoon and took a nibble of her yogurt. “Some stupid couple will get engaged and the media will go nuts.”

Nova swallowed. “Yeah. I know.” But she was lying. They wouldn’t forget. Evie was just trying to lighten the mood. 

From downstairs, the doorbell rang. Evie sprung from Nova’s bed to go peek at whoever it was, ever the nosy little bug. She took the now empty yogurt bowl with her. Nova returned her focus to the TV, wanting to forget about the accident and everything surrounding it. 

Clearly the universe wanted to see her suffer. 

Mom called out Nova’s name from below, followed by a string of commands to Thomas in Tagalog that Nova didn’t fully catch. She could hear the pounding of her baby brother’s feet on the hardwood floor as he ran up the stairs and down the hall toward Nova’s room.

She heard him blow a raspberry at Evie, who must’ve terrorized him in some way when he passed, and then he was poking his head into her room. “Mommy said Adrian’s here,” he told her, eyes fixated on the ice pack on her side and the cast on her arm. 

Nova closed her eyes and sank a little, ignoring the pain from her ribs. She hadn’t heard from him since the other day, before her crash when she had gone to his house when she had nowhere else to go. When they kissed. But she knew he was bound to show up at some point, whether or not he was angry with her. Adrian was just like that. 

“Papa says you’re sad.” Thomas took a step into the room tentatively, chubby hand wrapped around the knob still. “That...that there is a lot of unhappiness in your life right now.” He worded everything slowly, trying out each syllable. Nova had to give him a supportive smile. She held out her arm, and he surged forward to climb onto the bed to give her a hug. 

“I’m fine, Tommy.” She pressed a kiss on top of his curls. “Well, I’m going to be.”

“Good.” His grin was toothy. Her heart warmed. “I hate being sad.”

Nova chuckled and ruffled his hair. “There’s a lot going on right now, Tommy.” When he frowned, she continued. “It’s nothing you need to worry about, though, okay? I upset people I care about, including Mommy and Papa, and that hurts me. But things are going to be better again. Soon”

There was a soft knock on Nova’s door. She looked up and froze. Adrian stood in the doorway, eyes searching her face and lingering on the cut across her head, then down to her stomach and arm. Her cheeks flushed under his stare. 

“Hey, Tommy, why don’t you see if Papa needs something downstairs.” Nova found her voice, trying to act calm despite the sudden increase in her heart rate. Tommy hopped off of her bed and skipped to the door, unbothered as all children are, and even greeted Adrian like nothing was wrong. Nova was envious of his childlike innocence sometimes. 

“Your mom let me up,” Adrian explained, now looking around her room curiously. Nova could tell he was bothered, though. His posture was always stiff when something was bugging him. He avoided eye contact. “I haven’t been up here in awhile. Not since last year. But even then, I didn’t get to look around much.”

“Well, not much has changed. I’ve mostly just thrown out what I have no use for anymore.” Her laugh was awkward, ending in a slight wheeze. 

“I saw your car.” She almost thought she saw him wince. It could’ve just been the meds she was on. “I guess you won’t be driving any time soon, huh?”

She could tell he was just trying to keep the mood light. At least it was something different. Her team had all come by the day before with ice cream and Get Better Soon balloons. It was sweet, especially Ramona’s bad attempt at chastising Nova for being an idiot, but Nova was beginning to go stir crazy from all the attention she was getting. 

“No, but I’m more upset about the car.” She shrugged. “Edward was a good one. Gone, but not forgotten.”

A shadow of his normal, goofy self crossed his features, but only for a moment. Nova bit the inside of her cheek and patted the spot where Evie had been sitting, silently inviting him over. “How are things at Headquarters? Ramona said that since the wreck, they haven’t been given any assignments.”

“Normal,” Adrian said once he was settled beside her. He kept a safe distance from her, which stung slightly, but she understood. “Max is pissed off at you.”

A laugh escaped Nova’s lips, and she clutched her side at the sudden pain. Adrian’s eyes followed her hand, brow furrowed. Nova pretended to ignore his obvious concern. “Why? What have I done to possibly piss off the Bandit?

He looked back up at her and tried for a smile. “You haven’t been in to see him.” 

Nova rolled her eyes. Whenever she was at HQ, she always tried to make a habit of visiting Max’s quarantine before leaving for the day. “Well, you can tell him I’ll be back the second my mother lets me so much as stick one limb out of this bed.” 

“Noted.” His smile became a bit more genuine, much to Nova’s delight. And then it disappeared again. He scanned the minor cuts across her face and the larger one on her forehead, glanced over the tiny bruises here and there. “Nova, I’m so sorry this happened to you.” 

She blinked at him. “ _ You’re  _ sorry? This was my fault, Adrian. You have nothing to be sorry for.” 

“No, I...I was wrong for kissing you when you were vulnerable like that.” He shook his head. “You needed a friend, and I was an ass.”

Her mind immediately went to the other day. Their kiss. The closeness. His lips on her neck and all over her face. She was still mentally kicking herself for initiating it in the first place. Every day, she had wondered what Adrian must think of her, yet here he was now, apologizing for no reason. This was Adrian, of course. He always apologized, even if he wasn’t at fault. That’s just who he was. But if he thought that there had been something wrong with the kiss (like Nova suspected) which caused her to push him away that day, then it truly was a mistake. She didn’t know what she was thinking. While she had been setting herself up for heartbreak since then, hearing his apology now was still a blow to her feelings for him. She should never have put him to sleep. Instead, she should’ve apologized before things went too far and hoped for forgiveness. Well, it was too late now. 

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. Damn her racing heart. “I was the one who kissed you, remember? _ I  _ should be apologizing.” She looked down at the covers. “For that, and for putting you to sleep. You were only trying to help me. You didn’t deserve that, and I’m really sorry.”

He let out a slow sigh. “It seems like we both fucked up then, huh?” Nova stared at him blankly. “Can we just...pretend that the kiss didn’t happen? Go back to how things were before?” Though it pained her to do so, Nova nodded and forced a smile. She was lucky enough to still have his friendship, after fearing he wouldn’t want anything to do with her after she revealed her true feelings for him.

“I’d like that very much.” Perhaps her biggest lie to date.

“Good.” He nodded hesitantly, as if something was still bothering him. “And what you told me? The Anarchists and the messages?” Thank every star above he changed the subject before Nova could dwell too much on her rejection. Not the best topic, though.

Nova clenched her teeth. “My parents are still mad about that, but I think they’re waiting until I’m a little better before they lay into me.” She paused. “Can we not talk about the rest of that right now? I’ll...I’ll tell you more later, but my head is throbbing right now and I don’t know if I could handle that.”

“Of course,” he responded, perhaps a little too enthusiastic. Their hands were still clasped together. She tried not to think about it too much. “But you need to address that soon, Nova. And tell the Council. It’s too serious not to. You could be in danger.” After a moment, he added quietly, “And I can’t lose you, too.”

“Hey.” She sat up a little. “I won’t let that happen. I’ll make this right. I promise.” And that’s all she chose to say for the rest of the subject. Things were too complicated right now. It would be too hard to tell Adrian that she was beginning to lose faith in the Renegades and the Council and their system, that while the Anarchists were terrible people, their beliefs weren’t all bad. Not now. Maybe one day. 

His posture relaxed a little. “Thank you.”

A small weight seemed to lift from her shoulders, but there was still more holding her down. She didn’t want to worry about that right now. Reaching for the remote, she turned to a movie channel that often played some of her and Adrian’s favorites. “Want to stay a while? I’m sure I could bribe Evie into making us some popcorn.”

She half expected him to say no, to laugh at her for even suggesting it. But he smiled and nodded, scooting further onto the bed until his back was against her headboard and he was inches away. 

Nova was still plagued by his words from earlier, even as they sat in silence watching the movie. It was a good one, set in a far away universe, but Nova could barely pay attention. How could they move on as though what happened between them was nothing? Did Adrian think that she had only been acting in the moment, and not from her true feelings? Is that why he wanted to forget it, for her sake? Or was he embarrassed for her? That wasn’t necessarily like Adrian, Nova knew that, but she couldn’t rule out any possibilities. Ever since they started hanging out again, Nova’s baby crush had grown into something much more. Before, it had been merely admiring how handsome Adrian was, or checking him out when his back was turned, or playful flirting passed off as banter, or entertaining the idea of going on a date with him late at night when she was alone. Now, well, it was indescribable. He was her best friend. The very thought of him brought a smile to her face. Everything about him was endearing, even the way he snored softly while asleep or forgot to wipe off toothpaste from that one spot on his chin in the mornings and Nova would have to point it out to him at HQ or how he completely zoned out when drawing. 

“Adrian.” He turned his head to look at her, eyebrows raised. They had only been watching the movie for about twenty minutes. Nova licked her lips before continuing. “I lied...about earlier.” When he frowned, Nova pressed on before she could be interrupted. “I don’t want to forget about the kiss.”

“What do you mean?”

She inhaled a shaky breath. “I understand if you want to go back to how things were, but I can’t just forget the kiss. Maybe you can but…” She searched for the proper words, “It meant too much to me.  _ You _ mean too much to me.”

Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for an answer. “I thought...after that, and what happened last year, you weren’t interested in me like that.”

She would have laughed if it didn’t hurt. “I thought my feelings were made pretty clear the other day. I was convinced you were the one who didn’t want that.”

He searched her face, shifting his body just a bit toward her. “You’re joking. Nova, I’ve-I’ve had the biggest crush on you since we were twelve. I thought you knew.”

It was Nova’s turn to be surprised. “I had no idea.”

“Well, you’re the one who’s always pushed me away.” He shook his head. “Skies, Nova,  _ you put me to sleep _ mid-kiss. I don’t know about whatever world you’re from, but here, that usually means not interested.”

Her cheeks lit up. “I’m sorry about that, and every time before. I just…” she sighed, eyelids falling closed, “I don’t know. Being scared isn’t an excuse, but I was terrified that you would reject me.” She shrugged meekly. “We have so much history, and...and I don’t want to ruin that. You’re my best friend, Adrian.” 

She nearly jumped when he grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers. His palms were sweaty, but she didn’t care. “No, I-I understand. I’ve felt the same way.”

“I’m not good at this kind of thing.” She gestured between them awkwardly with her head. 

His laugh helped ease her nerves, his words even more so. “I know.”

She bit her bottom lip and avoided his gaze when she said, in a quiet voice, “Could we maybe try again?”

He bent his head down to look at her, and the look she got nearly made her slap him with a pillow. “You’re not going to put me asleep again, are you?” If it weren’t for the dorky smile on his lips, she definitely would’ve hit him. 

“I don’t know. If it makes that shit eating grin disappear, I just might.”

“That’s more like it,” he said, and before she could retort with something snarky, he leaned forward and kissed her. After a short moment, he pulled back, smile gone and eyes a question. Only when she nodded did he kiss her again, this time a bit longer.

Nova sighed against his lips and leaned into him as much as she could without it being painful. She let go of his hand and let her fingers trail up until they came to rest on his neck . She felt him curl his hand into her hair, pulling out her braids, before bringing both palms to rest on her cheeks. The feeling of his gentle caresses sent chills down her spine. His fingers traced a path around her face, as though he were trying to create a map to remember every curve and feature. Their last kiss had been frantic and needy, more passionate than perhaps meaningful. Nova supposed it was due to the circumstances, of course, but also from years of tension and misunderstandings. Now that she was aware of Adrian’s feelings, she was able to fully let go and kiss him without worry. 

He broke away, and Nova opened her mouth to protest. He silenced her by gently pressing kisses on her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her eyelids, all while murmuring her name and how much he adored her. Her heart swelled in her chest, and she brought his lips back to hers one last time before separating. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay so we were able to redo that,” he breathed, mouth brushing hers as he spoke. 

She rolled her eyes, but smiled and giggled. She let her forehead rest against his, closing her eyes. “Yeah. Me too.”

They spent the rest of the evening watching movies and cuddling, and even got Evie to bring them snacks, who may have expressed her disgust at the two of them. But Nova didn’t care. Not one bit. 


	6. Awkward Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i saiiiid i was going to focus more on young nova in this AU bUT then i got an ask from a kiss prompt on tumblr (Throwing their arms around the other person’s neck, hugging them close before kissing them passionately on the lips) and i couldnt NOT use it for this AU. after this though i promise to dive into a younger nova with her family, as that was my original intention for this AU. this is about a month following the last part, and yes i kind of drew inspiration from the fight with Hawthorne in Archenemies bc im basic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr, novas-bitch, and say hi!

Nova’s first week back on patrol and the fates decided to screw her over. 

Her team had been patrolling from the rooftops of a busy area when she received a message from Sketch, requesting assistance in capturing criminals that had just performed an armed robbery. Of course he knew she was patrolling that day, as she had told him so a few days prior. Many blocks and a scuffle later, Nova found herself being dragged away from the edge of the bridge by Ramona, who was worried about a wound on Nova’s arm where a bullet had grazed her. The fight was over. The criminals escaped on a getaway boat. And Adrian...Adrian had chased after them, despite being told not to by the Council. And then he got himself thrown overboard after putting up a fight on the boat. There was no sign of him in the water, which was beginning to calm from the boat disrupting it. 

They hadn’t even been dating for a month yet, and Adrian had to go and get himself killed. 

“He’ll be fine.” Ramona led Nova over to a healer, who sat Nova down and immediately began addressing the injury, instructing her to unzip the top of her uniform and pull her arm out of the sleeve so they could get a better look. The pain from moving her arm was nothing compared to the fear pounding in her chest. “This is Adrian we’re talking about.”

“Can’t you go searching the water for him?” Nova begged, wincing slightly as the medic began roughly cleaning the wound. “If anyone can find him, it’s you.”

Ramona shook her head. “No can do, babe. Since you’re a dumbass and got yourself shot, I have to go give the briefing to the cleanup crew.” She began to walk away, but looked over her shoulder. “They’re already sending out people to look for him. He’ll show up, like he always does.”

Beside her, Adèle sat down. Benton crouched in front of her and took her free hand. 

“Someone’s upset over her boyfriend, is she not,  _ mon ami _ ?” Adèle shot a playful smile at Benton. Skies, Nova swore the two only got along when it was at her expense. 

“ _ Oui, oui _ .” Benton grinned at Nova, who only glared back. “Oh, don’t give me that look, pouty pants. Ramona’s right. You’ve known your little boyfriend for years, and you’re trying to tell me that some water is going to take him out?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Nova lied, as she had been doing smoothly for the past month. “I’m just...worried about him. As a friend should be. That was a hard fall.” 

“Why so uptight all of a sudden?” Benton frowned. “You’ve never been this upset over him before. You know he always bounces back.”

“Benton is right, Nova.” Adèle laid a hand on Nova’s good arm. It was rare for her to show her affectionate side. Nova must’ve looked as though she was in really bad shape. “What is bothering you?”

Nova sighed and looked down. She knew it was only right to tell them the truth. They were her best friends, after all. But...not yet. Especially when there was a healer still mending Nova’s arm. “I’ll tell you guys later, okay?”

They gave her space after that, assessing their own injuries and getting supplies from the healers. Nova was handed a pair of sweatpants and a loose cotton tank after she was patched up. The injury was already beginning to heal itself with the added prodigy assistance. She ducked behind a curtain set up in the little tent and changed out of her bloodied uniform. Mom wouldn’t be too happy about cleaning this one. 

Why did Adrian have to go and do that? Nova was terrified for him. What if he was still in the water, stuck somehow and drowning? What if the boat hit him when he fell in and knocked him out? Frankly, she was frustrated with him as well. He was always doing shit like that, trying to make himself out as the hero. But, as Simon liked to say, there was no ‘I’ in hero. Adrian had a team, dammit, and she wished he would work with them instead of against them. Nova would never understand that side of him. He wasn’t an attention seeker, not in the slightest, so it wasn’t because he wanted recognition. And besides, his parents were some of the most famous people in the world, debatably. Adrian already got enough attention as it was, and he had expressed many times before how uncomfortable it made him. Nova understood  _ that _ , of course, having grown up in the spotlight alongside him as Ace Anarchy’s niece. 

When she stepped out onto the street to examine the damage done to the bride, a shriek cut through the air. Her eyes landed on Ruby, who was now in shorts and a tank top, a bandage around her thigh. The girl ran across the bridge and nearly tackled a familiar looking boy that was drenched from head to toe. The rest of his team followed, although at a light jog, embracing their leader. Nova’s mouth fell open, and she suddenly couldn’t help herself. 

Clenching her jaw shut, she stormed up to him. He had the audacity to grin at her, opening his arms for a hug as his teammates stepped back to let her through. Instead, she shoved his chest. He fell back a little, probably more from the shock of her reaction than the impact. 

“You fucking idiot,” she said between her teeth. “What made you think it was smart to do that?”

“Nova,” he reached for her arm, but she stepped back, “I thought I could catch them, but I was wrong, okay?”

“You could’ve died.” Nova didn’t notice that they were starting to get looks from the prodigies and newscasters and journalists. “And for nothing. What if you drowned?”

“I can swim.” He took on a light hearted tone, as though the conversation was a joke. But it quickly dissipated, a softer voice replacing it, meant just for Nova. “Babe, I’m fine, okay? Only a few cuts and bruises.”

“Don’t call me that,” she muttered, getting closer to him again until their shoes were practically touching. Her head craned up to look at him. She sent every atom of her anger in his direction through her piercing eyes. “You’re an idiot, Adrian Everhart. Do that again and...and I’ll-”

“What?” he interrupted, tilting his head to the side. “You’ll do what?”

Damn her emotions. 

She jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to her height. His hands immediately went to her back as she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Please don’t scare me like that again.”

He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder, pulling her closer. “I won’t. I promise.”

Nova wanted to scold him on his stupidity more, and how he left his team behind, but she knew this wasn’t the time or place. She drew back enough to see his face. Her hand trailed over a cut on his cheek, another on his temple. He was dripping with water still. She tilted her head up, inviting his lips to come down onto hers. A warm feeling draped over her, as it always did when they kissed. It didn’t matter that they had done quite a bit of kissing in the month they had been together; every time his lips were on hers, it was like the first time. 

She sighed against him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Her hand curled at the nape of his neck. She wanted him to know how much he worried her, how much he angered her, and how much she cared for him in this kiss. 

He broke away first, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers. For a moment, Nova let herself forget about his impulsiveness and just enjoy being in his arms. And then the moment ended with an awkward cough from her right. 

His team was staring at them with open mouths, along with nearly every person on that bridge. Nova’s cheeks brightened. Well, that was one way to announce they were a couple. She had been so caught up in her emotions and Adrian that she had literally forgotten where she was. Adrian seemed to have forgotten as well, based on the sheepish yet unashamed smile on his face.

“Told you,” Danna muttered, shouldering Oscar. “Pay up.” 

Adrian sighed loudly and took Nova’s hand as he pulled away from their embrace. He squeezed her palm. “This one’s going to be fun to explain, huh?”

Nova could only look around as people began going back to work. The press were only louder now than before, shouting at the two of them and taking pictures. Her team was headed over in their direction, the most stunned looks on their faces. Had the circumstances been different, their expressions would have almost been funny.

“Yeah. Real fun.”


End file.
